languishing in policy and barred from opportunity, our work is not yet done. the fight goes on. our fight goes on because this nation cannot succeed without a growing, thriving middle class and sturdy, strong ladders for everybody who is willing to work and get into the middle class. our fight goes on because we know america has always done best. we've always prospered when everybody gets a fair shot. everybody is doing their fair share. everybody is playing by the same rules. that's what we believe. that's why you elected me in 2008, and that is why i'm running for a second term as president of the united states.

[ chanting four more years ] >> now, wisconsin, tomorrow you have a choice to make. it's not just a choice between two candidates or two parties. it is a choice between two different visions for america. it's a choice between returning to the top-down policies that crashed our economy or a future that's built on providing opportunity to everybody and growing a strong middle class. understand, wisconsin, as americans we honor the strivers, the dreamers, the small business people, the risk takers, the entrepreneurs who have been the driving force behind our free enterprise system, and that free market is the greatest engine of prosperity and growth the world has ever known, but we also believe that in this country, like no other, our market works,

our system works only when everybody has a shot, when everybody is participating, when everybody has a chance to get a decent education, when every worker has a chance to get the skills they need, when we support research in the medical breakthroughs and new technologies. we believe that america is stronger, not weaker. stronger. when everybody can count on affordable health insurance. we believe our country is better when people can count on medicare and social security many their golden years. we think the market functions more effectively when there are rules in place to make sure our kids are protected from toxic dumping, to make sure consumers aren't being taken advantage of by unscrupulous credit card companies or mortgage lenders.

we believe that there's a place for rules and regulations that make sure our people are safe. we also believe there are some things politicians should stay out of. for example, we think that folks in washington, especially men, should not try to control health care choices that women are perfectly capable of making themselves. >> now, madison, we had a president that shared these beliefs. his name was bill clinton. when he first came into office, his economic plan asked the wealthiest americans to pay a little bit more so we could reduce our deficit and still invest in the skills and ideas of our people, and at the time the republican congress and a certain senate candidate by the name of mitt romney said bill clinton's plan would hurt the

economy, would kill jobs, would hurt the job creators. does this sound familiar? turns out his math back then was just as bad as it is now. because by the end of president clinton's second term, america created 23 million new jobs. incomes were up. port was down. our deficit had turned into a surplus. so, wisconsin, our ideas have been tested. we've tried them. they worked. the other side's ideas have also been tested. they didn't work so well. after bill clinton left office during most of the last decade well, tried giving big tax cuts to the wealthiest americans. we tried giving insurance companies and oil companies and wall street free reign to do whatever they pleased. what did we get? falling incomes, record deficits, the slowest job growth in half a century, an economic crisis that we have been

cleaning up after ever since. so this should not be that complicated. we tried our ideas. they worked. the economy grew. we created jobs. deficits went down. we tried their ideas. they didn't work. the economy didn't grow. not as many jobs and the deficit went up. here's the thing. governor romney is a very talented salesman. ms campaign he has tried as hard as he can to repackage the same old bad ideas and made them out to be new ideas. and tried to convince you that he is all about change. we know what change looks like, madison. give more power back to the biggest banks. that's not change. another $5 trillion tax cut that

favors the wealthy is not change. refusing to answer questions about your policies until after the election, that's definitely not change. that's the oldest game in the book. ruling out compromise by pledging to rubber stamp the tea party's agenda in congress, that's not change. changing the facts when they're inconvenient to your campaign, not change. it's not just about policies. it's also about trust. it's also about trust. you know, wisconsin, you know me by now. you may not agree with every decision i have made. you know, michelle doesn't either. you may be frustrated at the pace of change.

i promise you, so am i sometimes. but you know that i say what i mean and i mean what i say. i said i would end the war in iraq, and i ended it. i said i would pass health care reform, and i passed it. i said i would repeal don't ask don't tell. we repealed it. i said we cracked down on reckless practices on wall street, and we did. so you know where i stand. you know what i believe. you know i tell the truth. and you know that i'll fight for you and your families every single day as hard as i know how. you know that about me. so bh i say, wisconsin, that i know what real change looks like

you have cause to believe me because you have seen me fight for it, and have you seen me deliver it. you have seen the scars on me to prove it. you've seen the gray hair on my head to show you what it means for fight for change, and you have been there with me. after all we've been through together, we can't give up now. because we have more change to do. we have more change to make. think about the next four years. change is a country where every american has a shot at a great education. you know, and governments can't do it alone. students have to study. don't tell me that hiring more outstanding teachers won't help this economy grow. of course, it will. don't tell me that students who can't afford to go to college should just borrow money from their parents.

that wasn't an option for me, madison. i bet it wasn't an option for a lot of students that are here today. that's why i want to cut the growth of tuition in half by the next ten years. creating new math and science teachers so we don't fall behind the rest of the world. that's what changes. that's what we're fighting for in this election. change comes when we live up to this country's legacy of innovation. i could not be prouder than i bet on american workers and the american auto industry, but what makes me really proud is we're not just building cars again. we're building better cars. dharz by the middle of the next decade will go twice as far on a gallon of gas that will save you money, help our national security, help our environment

and that kind of inc. night isn't restricted to the auto industry. we've got thousands of workers building long-lasting batteries, wind turbines all across the country, and i don't want to subsidyize oil company profits. i want to support the energy jobs of tomorrow. the new technologies -- i don't want to reward companies for creating jobs overseas. i want to reward companies that are investing here in wisconsin and the next generation of manufacturing in america. that's my plan for jobs and growth, and that's what we're fighting for in this election. change is turning the page on a decade of war. we can do some nation building here at home. as long as i'm commander in chief, we will always pursue our enemies with the strongest military the world has ever known. it's time to use the savings from the wars in iraq and afghanistan to pay down our debt

and rebuild america. putting hard hats back to work and make our schools state-of-the-art all across this country. hiring our veterans because if you fought for our freedom, you shouldn't have to fight for our job or a roof over your head or the services you've earned when you come home. that's what will keep us strong. that's my commitment to you, and that's what is at stake in this election. yes, change is a future where we reduce our deficits, but we do it in a balanced, responsible way. you know, i have signed $1 trillion worth of spending cuts, got rid of programs that aren't working. i intend to do more, but if we're serious about the deficit, we can't just consult our way to prosperity. by the way, we can afford it. i haven't talked to bruce, but i know you can afford it. i can afford it. mr. romney can afford it.

as long as i'm president, i'm not going to kick some poor kids off a head start to give me a tax cut. i'm want going to turn medicare into a voucher just to pay for another millionaire's tax cut. so, wisconsin, we know what changes. we know what the future requires, but we also know it's not going to be easy. back in 2008 we talked about it, and everybody sometimes romantic sizes the last campaign, the posters and, you know, all the good feeling, but i said back then and when i talk about change, i'm not just talking about changing presidents or political parties. i'm talking about changing how our politics works. i ran because the voice of the

american people, your voices had been shut out of our democracy for way too long. by lobbyists and special interests and politicians who will say and do anything just to keep things the way they are. to protect the status quo. the status quo in washington is fierce. over the last four years that status quo has fought us every step of the way. they spent millions trying to stop us from reforming the health care system. spent millions trying to prevent us from reforming wall street. they engineered a strategy of gridlock in congress refusing to compromise on ideas that both democrats and republicans had agreed to in the past. what they're counting on now is that you're iffing to be so tired of all the squabbling, so tired of all the dysfunction that you're just going to give up and walk away and leave them -- leave them right where

they are. pulling the strings and levers and you lock out of the decisions that impact your lives. in other words i'm not making a partisan point here when the other party has been willing to work with me, to cut middle class taxes for families and small businesses or some courageous republican senators crossing the aisle to support the repeal of don't ask don't tell. we're not democrats or republicans first. we're americans first. as long as i'm president, i'll work with anybody of any party to move this country forward. whether they're democrats or republicans or independents who feel the same way.

who put you first, not the next election first. you know what, sometimes you got to fight. sometimes you have to stand on principle. if the price of peace in washington is cutting deals to cut students off of financial aid or get rid of funding for planned parenthood or let insurance companies discriminate with people against preexisting decisions or will he limb nature health care for millions of folks who are poor or elderly or disabled, i won't pay that price. that's not a deal i'll take. that's not bipartisanship. that's not bipartisanship. that's not change. that's surrender. that's not why i ran for president to leave things the way they are. i'm not ready to give up on that fight. i'm not ready to give up on that fight, wisconsin, and i hope you

aren't either. the folks at the top in this country they don't need another champion in washington. they'll always have a seat at the dabl. they'll always have access. they'll always have influence. that's the nature of things. the people who need a champion are the americans whose letters i read late at night after a long day in the office. the men and women i meet on the campaign trail every day. the laid off worker who is going back to community college to retrain at the age of 55 for a new career. she needs a champion. the restaurant owner who has great food but needs a loan to expand after the bank turned him down. he needs a champion. the cooks and waiters and cleaning staff at a madison hotel trying to save enough to buy a first home or second their kid to college, they need a champion. the autoworker who never thought

he would see -- now is he back on the job filled with pride and dignity because he is not just building a great car. it's not just about a paycheck. it's about taking pride in what you do. he needs a champion. a teacher in an overcrowded classroom -- >> president obama in madison, wisconsin, there. this is a state that carries ten electoral votes and, of course, it is also very competitive, highly competitive battleground state. back in 2008 obama carried 56% of the vote. the last wisconsin voted democratic last six presidential elections, but you can see campaign there the very last day means that it is highly competitive. you're going to hear more from the presidential republican candidate mitt romney. he is later this hour. he will be speaking in lynchburg, virginia. we'll bring it to you life. [ woman ] it's 32 minutes to go time,

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we're in the homestretch less than 24 hours away from the presidential election wrur our orc poll at 49% each. for the candidates it is a mad scramble to fire up the voters in the battleground states, get the supporters to the polls. both candidates and the running mates, they got events going on this hour. president is in madison, wisconsin. we just saw him. vice president biden is in sterling, virginia. we got correspondents in alall the crucial places. those swing states. martin savage is in ohio, john in florida. ted roland in wisconsin. miguel marquez is in nevada. once again, ohio critical battleground state. the state's 18 electoral votes

are the second biggest swing state prize behind florida. tell us, first of all, the strategy for the president and mitt romney in ohio. we are just talking just hours away from when people actually start voting. >> you're right. there's a sense here that things are really building to something very critical, but until the strategy question you, and it's simple. they have to get in the last word, and then their organization is getting out the vote, and it's the getting out of the vote, especially in ohio and the other swing states, that is going to be key. organization. that's truly going to play a factor. the lindz were big other the weekend, but they have been building throughout the day today, and you really get a sense from people here that they know ohio is a critical state,

and this is a crucial time to all of them. they've been serving hot coffee to people in loin. the police are here to make sure they keep growing. they've been bothered by all those robo calls, and it is time to simply vote. they recognize it is the responsibility, and they're here to get the job done essentially. suzanne. >> long lines. they're enjoying the long lines, but that's a good thing. everybody is coming out to vote there. martin, thank you very much. another critical battleground state, of course, is florida. can't forget florida. 29 electoral votes at stake there. this fight early on now over early voting. take a look at this. >> have you state democrats that

have now filed an emergency lawsuit over the issue trying to force the state to now extend early voting hours. have you election supervisors in couple of counties trying to take action here. what's going on. >> for early voting, which technically ended on saturday. the governor despite appeals to him refused to extend early voting hours past saturday. what the individual counties did -- miami dade here where i am and up in palm beach county, you can see the long line. they had people come yesterday and today to pick up and file an ab septemberee ballot. not technically early voting. but an absentee ballot. can you see how the line stretches that way sxaul the way down, suzanne, and around the corner there. there are hundreds of people in line waiting to get that absentee ballot and to cast that here at miami dade.

i was talking to an election official on saturday up in broward county. considering how toxic politics has become, it is so wonderful to see people really, in essence, saying, you know what, we're demanding our right to vote. we have it. we're going to exercise it. they're willing to stand in these long lines here even today to pick up an absentee ballot and to go ahead and turn that in and to file it today. that's what is happening here. long lines up in palm beach county as well. broward county, suzanne accident did not do this. they are taking people by appointment only to turn in absentee ballots. vp candidate paul ryan's state has ten electoral vote up for grabs. ted rolands is in milwaukee. you have the democrats. they have history on their side.

wisconsin hasn't voted republican in 28 years. last time was for ronald reagan. what are the campaigns doing at this late hour? can the republicans make a difference? well, suzanne, clearly, and they know it on the ground here, they do have their backs against the wall because all the latest polling does show the president with a lead. one poll, many of the, has them up by eight points. the reason they have that is scott walker, the governor here in wisconsin, you remember the recall election which just wrapped up earlier this year. well, during that recall, republicans were able to establish the ground game. when it comes to getting out the vote, their ground game here is superior to president obama's ground game, which, of course, doesn't usually translate into other states. democrats usually have a much

stronger ground game. this is the largest population. as a matter of fact, about one-third of the entire state lives in the greater milwaukee area. the president needs to run the numbers up here in order to offset his losses around the state in the rural areas. the president, obviously, not giving up an inch in wisconsin. is he in madison at this hour speaking. they're also offering volunteers that come up from the state of illinois. if you campaign or if you came here in wisconsin wishgs help us get out the vote, you get a ticket to the election night party in chicago. paul ryan is going to be here as well tonight, suzanne. will he end his long day in his home state at an event here in milwaukee. >> all right. thank you, ted. want to jump to nevada, another critical battleground state. has six electoral votes this time around. it's actually won more than it had back in 2008. president obama won nevada back then, but republicans have actually carried the state in eight of the last 11 presidential elections. miguel marquez is in vegas, and miguel, the president seems to be holding his lead in a state.

you see him leading mitt romney 50%-44% back in mav nevada. spent a lot of there. voting for the president by 76%. are we seeing that same type of support this go round? >> it's not entirely clear, but we are seeing a lot of democratic support in the -- for the president in early voting. that ended on friday here in nevada, so now both these campaigns are up to the few voters. it's a small slice. perhaps as many as 70% or 80% of voters across nevada have voted. latino voters in clark and in washu county up in the northwest part of the state are going to be critical to the president's game plan. in washu it's interesting. that's a republican-leaning county, and the democrats have managed squeak out a few more votes in early voting in washu, and it's probably likely because they're able to motivate latinos in this state. that will be very close to

watch. republicans will really have to make up a lot of space and time here in clark county over the next day in order to close that gap with the president. they say -- the republicans say that if -- because there are so many disaffected democrats and independent voters, those will swing over to governor romney, and that's where they are going to see them make up those numbers come closing time tomorrow. suzanne. >> all right. miguel, i want to go to reno, nevada. that is where paul ryan is speaking at a campaign event. let's listen in. >> look at the leadership team you have here. brian sandoval, you are one fantastic governor. thank you for what you have done. we had rosario in here. thank you very much for being here, rosario. we appreciate everything you've

done. the guy who is a very good close personal friend of mine, a guy i used to sit next to in the weighs and means committee, a guy who is a good guy. a man who is honest who is a true nevadan, and the man that is going to help us make sure that harry reid is the next minority leader of the united states senate, gabe heller. -- dean heller deserves your support.

are you going to help us win this thing, nevada? we are doing a barn burner today. we are crisscrossing the country, mitt and i are. we are asking you to work with us to stand with us, to get our country back on the right track. we know the kind of choice that's facing us. the president sounded great four years ago. he made all these wonderful promises. the hope and change sounded good to a lot of people. here's the problem. sounds like a bumper sticker. here's the problem. when he campaigned four years ago, he said he would fix all these problems. he said he would cut the deficit in half. he said he would focus on job creation. he said he would bridge the partisan --

>> vice president joe biden is live in sterling, virginia. a campaign event. let's listen in. >> we've had too much division. we've had too much division, and one of the things that i found remarkable is nobody -- none of the 50,118 that have been wounded, none of the 17,000 criticalically wounded, none of them ever ask the guy or woman that they're standing next to, are you a democrat or a republican. none of them ever ever engaged in anything other than what's in the interest of their country. they're a remarkable generation of warriors. i saw another demonstration of that spirit which gave me hope in this god awful storm we just had, sandy. it devastated parts of virginia, hit my home state of delaware, parts of maryland, but it really clobbered new jersey and occupy through the coast. every morning and after this is over, i will be on another call with the president where we speak with all the governors of

those affected states and i found it remarkable. they're all acting together. they're acting like when you and i got started in politics. i mean, we did -- the governor of delaware is a democrat. on this call with fema and the defense department, everyone, along with all the other governors, is saying when asked what can you do, what do you need, governor, he said, well, mr. president, i like to say to chris, to chris christie, look, delaware has been hit, but if you need any of our charity or anybody to put -- any generators, you have been hit more than we've been hit, so we'll send them to you. the governor of connecticut saying the same thing. the mayors of these cities. ladies and gentlemen, that is -- that is how people respond in a crisis now. that's how we have to go back to again. folks, there's a great story

that i have served, as can you tell -- i'm by far the oldest guy up here. unfortunately, you can probably tell that, but i go back a long way. >> vice president joe biden in the critical swing state of virginia. i want to weigh in on the race for the white house. cnn has partnered with facebook to create a new app. it is called i'm voting. first it asks you to commit to vote this election. we want you to do that. second, it also shows you how your friends, your neighbors, how they feel about a vaerlt of issues. just go to my facebook page, facebook.com/suzanne, cnn. click on the i'm voting app. today's question, are the candidates driving you to the polls? let us know what you think. we're going to share inform your responses next hour. we'll be right back.

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mitt romney is campaigning in lynchburg, virginia. let's listen in. >> with either republican leader of the house or the senate since july. think of that. instead of bridging the divide between the parties, he has made it wider. now, so many of you look at the big debates we have in this country not as a republican or a democrat, but as an american. you watched what has happened with an independent voice. you hope that the president would live up to his promise to bring people together to solve big problems. he hasn't. i will. it's because he cared more about a liberal agenda than he did about repairing the economy. did obama care create new jobs?

did his war on coal and gas create new jobs? did that dodd frank leg regular latory bill help banks give out more loans? does raising taxes put more people to work? how about that avalanche of new regulations? does that help small business? you got it right. you know, almost every measure he took hurt the economy. it hurt fellow americans. we have 23 million americans today. think of that number. 23 million americans struggling to find a new job. one out of six of our fellow citizens living in poverty, and the middle class is being squeezed in our country. take home pay it down by $4,300 a year since he took office, and you are paying higher prices at the pump, higher prices for insurance, higher prices for electricity. he worked as a welder for 40

years, but he just got laid off. in the prime of his life, by the way. yeah. there are a few of us. yeah. his wife said what can i do to help him? she doesn't want a government check. she made it clear. he wants a job. the president thinks more government is the answer. more jobs. that's the answer for america. the question of this election comes down to this. do you want four more years like the last four years? or do you want real change? he just couldn't believe it.

i helped tlifr my state from deficit to surplus and from job losses to job growth. that's why i'm running for president. i know how to change the nation, how to get it back on course, how to create jobs, how to get a balanced budget, how to get rise in take-home pay. accomplishing real change is not something i just talk about. it's something i've done, and it's what i'm going to do when i'm president of the united states of america. if you're tired of being tired, then i ask you to vote for change. help us win this. paul ryan and i are going to bring real change to america from day one.

when i'm elected -- when i'm elected, the economy and the american jobs are likely to still be very stagnant. you know, this year, by the way -- this year the economy is growing more slowly than last year, and last year more slowly than the year before. i'm not going to waist my time complaining about my predecessor when i'm president. i'm not going to spend my time trying to pass partisan legislation that's unrelated to jobs. from day one i'm going to go to work to help americans get back to work. you know that people all over the country are responding to our five-point plan to create jobs. part one is taking full advantage of our energy -- oil, coal, natural gas, renewables and nuclear. i'm going to double the number of leases and permits on federal lands and in federal waters. i'm going act to speed the approval of the keystone

pipeline from canada. number fireworks i'm going to move to boost trade, particularly with latin america. we have some natural advantages there, and it's a huge market, and i finally will designate china as a currency manipulator that they've got to play fair. i'm going to send somebody to congress that i'll call the retraining reform act to make sure that every worker can get the skills they need for a good job. number four, i'm iffing to move to tackle out of control spending, because i'm going to send congress a series of bills, but the first one on day one is going to be called this, the down payment on fiscal sanity act. we will immediately cut not just slow the rate of growth, but cut spending in the federal government. we've got to get this government on track to finally balance its budget. i'm not just going to take

office on january 20th. i'm going to take responsibility for that office as well. number five, i'm going to act to boost small business and all business. i'm going to issue executive orders that are aimed straight at the problems that are holding back the economy. the first is going to grant state waivers from obama care so we can begin its repeal. and with a second i'm going to launch a sweeping review of all the obama era regulation with an eye to eliminate or repair those that are killing jobs, and, by the way, for the first time in four years every entrepreneur, every small businessperson, every job creator will know that the president and government of the united states likes them and likes the jobs they can bring to america. paul ryan and my vision is to

limit government rather than limiting the dreams of our fellow americans. now our choice tomorrow is going to lead to one of two very different outcomes. if the president were to be re-elected, he would still be unable -- [ booing ] >> i think you and i can agree on that here, but there may be some people watching who haven't decided yet, so i'll just note for them that if he were to get re-elected, he will not be able to work with people in congress. i say that because he hasn't been able to. he has ignored them. he has attacked them. he has blamed them. by the way, if he can't work with congress, think what happens the next time the debt ceiling comes up. all right? there will be slets threats of shut down and default, and what that means is the economy freezes and jobs aren't created. the president was right when he said the other day that he can't change washington from the inside. we're iffing to give him a chance to try to change him on the outside. okay?

let's do that. now in a very different way when i'm elected i will work with republicans and democrats in congress. i'll meet with leaders in both parties. i'll endeavor to find good democrats and good republicans who care more about the country than they do about politics. they're there. we have to work together. we have got to be united as a nation. there's no question if the president were to be re-electriced he will continue to wage his war on coal and oil and natural gas. i've got a very different view. i want to take an entirely different course on energy. to build jobs and to help with prices at the pump, we've got to achieve north american energy independence in eight years, and i will. if the president were re-elected, will he continue to crush small business, raise their taxes, forcing their

employees whether they want to or not to join unions, expanding regulations and to, of course, impose obama care. look, i care about small business. i see it as a means for people to fulfill their dreams. last week i met one of those dreamers. rhoda elliott who lives in richmond, virginia. she's been running her family business for about quite a few years, and it's a business that's been in her family for 282 years called bill's barbecue. you know it. at its high point she employed 200 people. she just closed it down. she told me that the obama era regulations and taxes and obama care and the affects of the obama economy put her out of business, and she teared up. she teared up as she was telling me this. it wasn't about the money. this was about her future for her family and for her family of employees. i want to help the hundreds of

thousands of dreamers like rhoda and i will. the other difference if the president is re-elected, he said he will improve our schools, but he will do what his largest campaign supporters, the public sector unions, insist on. the children and their parents, because there is no union for the pta. i give the parents the manufacturings they need to know if their school is succeeding or failing, and i will give them the choice they need to have to pick the school where their child has the best chance for success. bare, as governor, we were able to take our schools to the very top of the nation. number one in 50 states. we did that by working together,

republicans and democrats. this one is pretty darn impressionive. i have to tell you. it's also the depth of our shared conviction. it makes me strive to be even more worthy. to speak for the aspirations of all americans. this is how i'll conduct myself as president. i'll bring people together. i won't just represent one party.

i'll represent one nation. throughout the campaign the president has brought almost every argument he can think of to the front to try to convince you that these last four years have been a success. his plan for the next four wreerz is to take all the ideas for the first term -- the stimulus, the borrowing, obama care, all the rest -- and do them over again. he calls that forward. the same course we've been on won't lead to a better destination. it means stagnant take-home pay. it means depressed home values, and, of course, it means a devastated military. unless we change course, by the way, we may be looking at another recession.

just the other day in his closing argument president obama asked his supporters to vote for revenge. for revenge. i asked the american people to vote for love of country. >> we have got -- we have got to lead america to a better place. we have to be a united nation. this is essential for us to come together at a critical time like this.

it's not based on promises and -- it's unshakeable faith in the american spirit. if there's anyone who is worried that the last four years are the best we can do or if there's anyone who fears that the american dream is fading away or if there's anyone who wonder whether better jobs and better paychecks are a thing of the past, i have a clear and unequivocal message. with the right leadership, america is about to come roaring back. we're americans. we can do anything. we're going to. the only thing that stands between us and some of the best years we've ever imaged is lack of leadership, and that's why we have elections. imagine what we can do. we can start building a new future.

you saw the differences when president obama and i were side-by-side during those debates, which i enjoyed, by the way. he says it has to be this way. i say it can't stay this way. he is offering excuse. i've got a plan. i can't wait to get started. he is hoping to settle. americans don't settle. we build. we aspire. we dream. our destiny is in the hands of the american people as they go to the voting booth tomorrow. tomorrow we're going to get to work rebuilding our country, restoring our confidence, and renewing our conviction. confidence that we're on a solid path to steady improvement.

kfrs that college grads four years until now will find a better job. confidence to single mom that is are working two jobs will have a shot at a better job, and so tomorrow on november 6th we come together for a better futures. i need you to reach across the street to your neighbor who has the other candidate's sign in his yard, and i'm going to reach across the aisle in washington to people of good faith and the other party because this is much more than our moment. it's america's moment of renewal and purpose and optimism. we journeyed far and wide to this great campaign for america's future. now we're almost home. one final push is going to get us there. we've known some long days and some short nights. now we're close. the door to a brighter future is

open. it's waiting for us. i need your vote. i need your work. walk with me. walk together. tomorrow we're going to begin a new tomorrow. god bless you. god bless the united states of america. god bless the commonwealth of virginia. we're going to win in virginia with your help. thank you so very much. thanks, you guys. thank you. >> presidential candidate mitt romney in lynchburg, virginia, fighting for every key vote. there is 13 electoral votes out of virginia. very competitive state. more after the break. maybe somewhere around my house. mine's just, right over that way. well you can find out exactly where it is using bing elections. it's a good day for politics. which way do you lean politically? conservative. republican. well, using the bing news selector you can find news from whichever way you lean. (together) social on this side, financial. which party is currently predicted to win a majority in the senate? the republicans? would you make a bet on that? no. are you chicken?

this is romney prepping for ae speech he gave in toledo, ohio. that was on october 26th. winning ohio's 18 electoral votes critical for both candidates. two days later romney went to marion, ohio. here he is singing with the oak ridge boys. the gospel country singing group was the opening act there. it's pretty cool. president obama and former president bill clinton talking at a hotel room. this is in orlando. this was on sunday, october 28th. and the next day the president returned to washington ahead of hurricane sandy. now, last tuesday the president gets briefed here on the hurricane response of the white house towards the deaf stated coast of new jersey on wednesday. 110 people died in that storm. i'm suzanne malveaux. we are 11 hours away from the moment the fist election day vote will be cast. right now the candidates are in

a dead heat. that is right. they are making a mad dash to pick up last minute voters. president obama, he is racing across the midwest from wisconsin to iowa. well, mitt romney, he is heading swing states along the east coast. this will help push one contender out in front of the other, we don't know yet, but where this race stands in the final hours, what happens after the election, cnn officer political analyst david gergen and, david, you've served four presidents. you know what this is like to be on pins and needles at this point. when you take a look at these polls, you see that the national polls, neck and neck, dead even, 49% to 49%. you go by state by state, the president has a slight lead in some of the crucial swing states. do you think we're going to know who the president is monday morning? well, wednesday morning? >> it could also stretch on

there could be possible lawsuits. it could be several days before we know, and we may even have another florida. i don't think so. but, you know, we'll get a good sense of this early tomorrow night when some of those eastern states where mitt romney is today come in. if president obama were to pull off florida, for example, which closes early that, would make it almost impossible for mitt romney to get it there. north carolina, virginia, important states early enough too. it's likely to be awe long night. >> a long night. god help us, you're right. if we employ back to 2000, we all know what that was like. let's talk about the morning after. let's see this thing play out. the first new president, whoever it is, is going to have to deal with a number of really important thing in determining whether or not he can govern. the first thing, of course, the fiscal cliff. you are talking about $110 billion in spending cuts out of $1.2 trillion over a ten-year period, but that is going to kick in at the start of the new year. not to mention the fact that you've got the bush tax cuts

inspiring -- which means that 90% of us are going to have higher taxes. the republicans make their final pitch. they argue that, well, if you put romney in office, he will work better with republicans to avoid the catastrophe. the fiscal cliff. do you think that is a fair assumption? >> i really don't think so. the truth is whoever is elected president is going to have one chamber of the congress in the hands of the other party. if president obama is elected, he is going to have the house in the hands of the republicans. we'll look at this as a status quo election. democrats control the senate. the republicans control the house. vice versa. if it's mitt romney, the democrats are very likely to control the senate. i think each one will face serious difficulties. here's the thing, suzanne. i thought about in late september it looked as if president obama could bust this race open. that was before the first debate. had he busted it open and won by a substantial margin, then i thought he would come out of

that with a lot of leverage, strength, and forcing the republicans to come to the table on a grand bargain and getting past the fiscal cliff. it likely cost him a mandate. if he leads by a narrow margin -- if president obama were to win by the ann arbor row margin -- he is the favorite, but mitt romney could still have an upset. don't you think republicans are going to say, you know, we're back to where we were? they are going to give a little bit here and there, but they're going to insist on a very, you know -- he is going to go halfway. i think the real question after this election is the winner going to be magnamimous? is the congress going to be willing to meet him-way. i think we have a tough road ahead without those two ingredients. >> does it give you pause at all when you talk about a status quo election that $2 billion have been spent between these two candidates, and we could see

ourselves right back to where we started? what do you think it says about our system? >> i -- it's such an interesting point. dana bash and i were talking about this last night. it's actually the number for the total amount spent on all federal elections is somewhere closer to $6 billion. that means -- we will have spent $6 billion, and it's all just the same. you wonder, maybe we should have made a better use of this $6 billion. what kind of return on investment was that for all those multimillionaires and billionaires to put so much money in. they call them business and roi that was darn low in this situation, and it may make us rethink just, you know, the campaign finance laws a little more clearly because clearly, this is not -- this is not a healthy system when $6 billion is spent, and it really doesn't move the neelgtsdz. it does illustrate, i must add, just how deep the divisions run. when you spend all that money, you can't bring people over to your side, that suggests philosophically people are

pretty dug in on opposing positions. >> very much a divided country. david, thank you very much. we'll be up late watching alof this and early into the morning as well. thank you. we want you to weigh in on the race for the white house. cnn has partnered with facebook now to create a new app. it's called i'm voting. first, it does ask you to commit to vote this election. we want you to do that. it's important. second, shows how your friends and neighbors feel about a whole host of things. just go to my facebook page, facebook.com/suzannecnn. click on i'm voting app, and today's question, are the candidates driving you now to the polls? let us know what you think. share some of your responses later m hour. here's what we're working on for this hour. >> the october surprise. superstorm sandy's impact on the election. will voters show up at the polls. new jersey tests out ballots in the wake of the destruction. is the future of voting on-line? and the race to the white house in a dead heat. who will come out on top?

president obama -- >> in 2008 we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the great depression, and today our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million new jobs. >> or mitt romney? >> change can't be measured in speeches. change is measured in achievements. four years ago candidate obama, he promised so much to so many people, but he has fallen so very short. >> reporter: the race to the finish line with last minute stops in swing states. cnn is covering the battleground as we count down to america's choice. if you are one of the millions of men

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our next president, some people hit hard by superstorm sandy have new options now for voting. others in florida say the state's early voting rules are unfair. strap in for election day, folks, because ali velshi is keeping an eye on all this stuff as it unfolds. he is joining us at the vote desk here, and, ali, you were out there. you saw how this direct impact with a lot of folks there. let's start off with new jersey. how is that going to affect how people actually go to the polls and vote. >> that's what we're thinking a week ago when hurricane sandy hit. how are people going to get to these polling place? new jersey has taken a lot of action to try and help people out. in fact, we're still developing. there's still more things happening. new jersey governor chris christie made a remarkable comment, which seems designed for the funny shows where he said there will be -- there will not be one more fraud lent vote than usual or normal. you won't say there won't be any fraud lent votes. just no more than usual.

they are allowing their naval officers -- their sailors to do, vote by internet or fax. because this hasn't been tried on a broad audience, we are not sure how this is going to work. new york is going to be moving some polling stations -- in the northeast it's going to be tricky. the governors of new york and new jersey and connecticut seem committed to making sure everybody who wants to cast a ballot can cast one. i don't doubt that some people are going to end up casting their ballot after the election. >> and will those votes count? how will that work? sfwoo we're looking at ohio and florida as well. the northeast, particularly new york and new jersey, there hasn't been a lot of doubt as to at least in the presidential election how that's going to go. there september the concern that the election will be held up because of things going on.

ohio and florida are different stories because they are both swing states. ohio very tight. florida very big, and also a tight vote. and we are still seeing pictures of long, long line-ups today. we have some lines where there are 400 people. we have reports of people waiting seven to eight hours in line and then turning away because they've changed the voting system there. the -- >> turning away after seven or eight hours? >> turning away at some point in that thing. i think if you are there seven hours, you might as well wait for the last hour. you remember, obviously, you covered it 537 votes decided the presidential election last time. in these three counties in southern florida where about one-third of the voters are. they had 14 days normally will in advanced voting. the republican scrolled legislature reverse thad to eight days, and as a result you are seeing big line-ups. the good news is ohio and florida probably half of the voters have already cast their ballot. >> actually, being in those flood areas and talking to those

folks there, do you get a sense that they really want to vote, that they are motivated to vote, or do you think this is hard enough. >> if you don't have power or you have problems getting access to your home, i think your survival instinct takes greater precedent than your democratic instinct at the moment. i think they want to vote and they want to be able to feel that their vote matters and will be counted. i just don't know what kind of turnout we're going to see in the hard hit areas because it's just been very, very, very difficult and, frankly, for those that hard hit, a week ago they p were not expecting to be in this shape. i think the idea that, yeah, we'll vote, things will be okay and we'll settle down, i'm not sure, but we'll be watching that all very closely all day tomorrow, and, by the way, if you see anything out there, please just let us know and we'll -- >> it's going to be confusing. >> more than anything else it's going to be confusing. >> where do i go and where do i find out where to go? i have things to do. how long will it take me to get this done? the states are working very hard to allow people to get their ballot cast. >> all right. good to see you drive dry here

indoors. excellent coverage as always.

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the race to the white house no longer about dwinsing folks. it's really about getting out to vote and bringing them to the polls. just want to get both sides to weigh in on the last day strategies from the republicans cmn contributor. anna navarro is here with donna brazil, my favorite folks here. i will start with you. mitt romney hitting florida, virginia, ohio, ending in new hampshire. what is the key, the combination to get to the majoric 270 electoral votes to win? >> i think you just said it. florida, virginia, and ohio. there's a reason why he is going

there this last day. the good news for romney is that he is doing very well in florida. it's going to be a very tight race, but i think he has -- he is ahead by one or two points in most polls. it is a must win state for him. i see a very hard path for him without florida. to the 270 electoral votes. he probably also has to win virginia. ohio is more iffy, but if he doesn't carry ohio, then he has to make up those electoral votes early through a combination of smaller states, like wisconsin, colorado, or through mother big state. >> donna, let's talk about what we keep hearing for the obama campaign, hitting wisconsin as well as ohio and iowa today. if he loses any of those states, is there another strategy? another way to get to the 270? >> oh, yeah. think about ok the driving tour right now. up 95 to florida, and all the way up to new hampshire from virginia, across the country. i-80 where we can pick up much needed votes in ohio, the mother of all republican states.

if mitt romney loses ohio, he will be an also ran. there's hardly a path to 270 if he loses ohio. i think president obama is strong many colorado, strong in nevada, and, you know, the one thing that the democrats have done quite well over the last couple of months is they've registered new voters. 1.8 million voters. 28% of them have already cast their ballots early. >> you know, there's often a period during the campaign where you can feel like something has changed, something has turned. i remember back in 2008 it was really two weeks before the election and the obama folks really started to feel optimistic like, wow, i think we got this. do you have that feeling? do you think that's the kind of feeling that the romney folks are experiencing now? are they still very uncertain? >> i think the entire country is uncertain. if we see poll after poll and all of the swing states, they are just very close. too close to call. almost flip a coin close. i think nobody should be feeling

optimistic. everybody should be feeling nervous. getting out the vote until the very last minute. we can feel optimistic after winning. >> donna, what do you think of in this new line we heard from the romney folks? this talk of a mooumt even appropriating president obama's slogan saying, well, romney is now the guy of hope and real change trying to really kind of capture the spirit of obama from 2008, a closing argument that sounds a lot like president obama's opening argument for years ago. >> you know, mitt romney can tap into our song, but he doesn't have the dance, he doesn't have the groove, he doesn't have the movement, he doesn't have the people, he doesn't have the diversity. he doesn't really have what i believe is the essential ingredients for bringing a country together. mitt romney throughout the primary campaign campaigned to be the severe conservative. now is he trying to be the middle mitt romney. the bottom line is president obama has the movement, the dance, he has the song, he has the rhythm. this is about winning and bringing people together. that's why his closing message of forward together bringing the

country together to solve our problems are not looking for, you know, solutions for one side but bringing both sides so that we can solve our problems. that's why president obama -- president obama has the last momentum. president obama, not mama. my mama is not here, but go knows if she was alive, she would vote. i voted early. >> all right. >> i voted absentee, and i'll tell you this, i will not argue with donna. president obama has the rhythm, the dancing down and the groove, but what you need is the votes. >> you got that too. >> the votes are very competitive, because i do want to bring this up. we saw him in lynchburg, have a vashg mitt romney, and the republicans are worried about former virginia congressman virgin good. the constitution party candidate, the third party candidate. he served six terms in the house. is he from south side virginia. this is really a conservative part of the state. when you think about it, if he takes away 1,000 votes from romney that, could cost him virginia.

is there a real effort here, real concern about that? >> you know, suzanne, the smart thing at this point is, as i said before, to be concerned about everything. it's just too close a race not to take the details into consideration. yes, there should be concern about virgil good. that's why it's important that mitt romney was in virginia today to remind people that there's really two candidates in this race. president barack obama and governor mitt romney. anything else is really -- no other candidate is going to become president. you can make a statement if you would like, but it's -- that statement support going to turn into a president the next day. so i think it's a good reminder, and what he was doing in virginia today. >> all right. anna, we're going to leave it there. we'll be watching closely who has the moves, the grooves, the talk and the votes. good to see you beth. >> hey, obama. >> white men can dance. >> all right. dancing on all sides. thank you. campaigns usually stay away from guarantees. it is bad luck, right? but two of president obama's big guns, they are guaranteeing victories in key states.

they are willing to even put themselves at risk. what are we talking about here? senior campaign advisor david axelrod even made his bets on the results in minnesota, michigan, and pennsylvania. let's listen. >> you bet your mustache on the president winning pennsylvania. how secure is your mustache today had. >> i am -- the next time we see each other, chris, i guarantee you that mustache will be right where it is today. where it's been for 40 years, by the way, so you know you ho serious a bet that was. >> all right. paul ryan, mitt romney making stops in pennsylvania over the weekend, so should for this? this is what axelrod would look like without the mustache. still smiling apparently. then there's jen socky, campaign spokesperson for the obama administration. she is guaranteeing wins in pennsylvania, michigan, and new mexico. she says she would dye her hair black, put on a mustache if they lose any of those states. hopefully that's not axelrod's mustache. an air of confidence, but no, no

guarantees of ohio and florida. we'll see how they do. be sure to watch cnn on election day. we'll be with you all day tomorrow, be joining you at 9:00 a.m. eastern, and then our special coverage beginning tomorrow night at 6:00. superstorm sandy left homes destroyed, millions of people without power. what are they going to do now? christine romans is explaining in this week's smart is the new rich. >> we lost our house, our pool, and god only knows what else. >> unbelievable. it's a war zone. >> i'm not exactly sure where to go from here besides calling the insurance company. >> that's the first step. then comes calculating the loss and cashing the check. in sandy's wake tens of thousands of homeowners are now asking if a tree falls in a hurricane, who pays? >> if it hits your house, you call your insurance company and file a claim. you're going to be covered for the damage that that tree does to your house, for anything

that's in the house, and for the cost of removing that tree. >> gene salvator. >> that comes under your homeowner policy for wind. >> wind is covered. wind is one of those standard disasters that it's covered. >> with sanitiedy's wind came water. >> most people bought flood insurance from the national flood insurance program, so if you have flood insurance policy, are you going to be chord for that. >> about 14% of homeowners in the northeast have flood insurance. more than the 5% who were covered when irene howled through. >> some people that don't have flood insurance, will they be able to mag made whole or get rerelief from the federal government? >> people need to get in touch with fema and find out what is available to them. there might be some sort of disaster aid or loans. >> another enduring image of sandy. flooded cars. >> you're covered for a lot of natural disasters under the comprehensive portion of your car insurance, so that's going

to cover wind damage. it's going to cover flooding. >> keep notes. find as many receipts as you can. be thorough with the claims adjustor. no damage is too small to mention. keep your patience and perspective. >> a home can always be rebuilt. we're safe. >> christine romans, cnn, new york. many people are still homeless. cold without power. a look at the devastation. >> there's still a sense of sadness, and emotions are still raw, and we've only begun to recover from this. americans are always ready to work hard for a better future. since ameriprise financial was founded back in 1894, they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times.

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election eve victims of superstorm sandy, they are still struggling to recover. the storm is blamed for 110 deaths in the united states. it's almost 1.5 million homes and businesses that are still without power. most of the outages are hard hit

new jersey and new york. plus, people are having difficulty finding gas for their cars and their home generators. now, adding to that, a new storm, a nor'easter that is threatening the region. jim clancy, who looks at how one devastated new jersey city is cleaning up from sandy while preparing for the next storm and tomorrow's election. >> reporter: suzanne, ocean avenue, the city of bellmawr, a small town on the jersey shore, that you can see the sand drifts that have come up here. that was the beach before. the entire boardwalk. 1.2 miles of it ripped out by the storm. they are working feverishly right now. they're preparing for that nor'easter that is reportedly on its way. now it's not going to be as bad as any superstorm, but you have to understand that this city's water table is now so high the mayor told me just a short time ago that if they get even an inch of water from that storm, it could flood the basements of this town all over again. what are they doing? they're pumping. they're pumping tens upon tens

of thousands of gallons. the mayor says 60,000 gallons a minute are being pumped out of these two lakes as they try to lower the water there and protect this town from many of the effects of that upcoming storm. on another front voting. there's been a lot of talk about the electronic ballot,, the possibility of voters turning in their ballots by e-mail or by fax, but in a town that doesn't have any electricity, that's want really a very viable option. yes, it may work for some of the residents who have taken shelter outside of the town in areas that do have power, but for the residents that remain here, the town is making arrangements to have everyone come to one place. remember, this is a small town. most people could walk to the burrough hall and cast their ballots there where generators have been set up theshgs can charge their cell phones even as they cast their ballots. people are still very interested in the national election, and they do want to take part. right now they're also thinking about cleaning up after this

superstorm and perhaps bracing for the next one. suzanne, back to you. >> thank you, jim. for more about those affected by sandy and how you can help, check out cnn.com/impact. much of the east coast focussing on cleaning up after sandy in the election. it might be the last thing on their minds, but it is the final count don. key for both candidates really to get out the ground game. what states you should watch for tomorrow, get an idea of who is winning the presidential election. when you have diabetes...

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presidential campaign and homestretch candidates are in one final blitz across battleground states trying to rev up supporters and get people to the polls tomorrow. joining us to talk about where things stand and what to look for tomorrow night. ron brownstein, editorial director of "the national journal." let's focus on this breakdown here. good to see you. they are very different than

what we saw four years ago, and it has a lot to do with racial and idealogical differences in our country now. explain how that either benefits or hurts the candidates. >> right. so the overall national story is that we are seeing an electorate that's deeply polarized along idealogical lines, gender lines, especially racial lines. president obama consistently running in polling right around 80% of the combined vote among minority voters, but struggling to get to even 40% among whites. as this plays out in the battleground states, what you see is really two different races unfolding. suzanne, one in the sun belt states like north carolina, virginia, florida, colorado, and nevada. another in these rust belt states, like iowa, wisconsin, michigan, and above all, ohio. >> and the fact that you are saying as well that the voters -- the population has changed that we are seeing more non-white voters, how does that impact romney's campaign? his chances? >> well, look, even inside the romney campaign people have said to me this is the last time anyone will try to do this, and

by this they mean win a national election almost entirely on the backs and the support from white voters. the romney campaign really has not had an effective outreach to minorities. the president, again, as i said, is looking at winning a combined 80%, including over two-thirds among hispanics. despite the fact that unemployment among hispanics has been in double digits every month of his presidency. what that means is that he can win a national majority with support of only around 40% of whites, and in turn what that means is that romney could run as well among whites as any republican challenger ever, including dwight eisenhower in 19 2, ronald reagan in 1980 or george h.w. bush in 198 1k38 still lose. he can squeeze out a majority almost entirely from whites in this election, but there's a long-term proposition having to win 61% or 62% of the future with whites every time is a very difficult road for republicans, and i think you see a big debate in the party after the election. win or lose about how they can reach out better to minority voters. >> what should we be watching out for tomorrow night, particularly in ohio?

>> yeah. look, i mean, you know, right now if you look at the electoral college math, there are 18 states that have voted democratic in every election since 1992. they have 242 electoral college votes. that includes minnesota, michigan, wisconsin, and pennsylvania that to varying degrees are competitive, but if obama can hold all of those and add ohio to it, all he has to do is win at that point nevada and new mexico where he is in a very strong position in the southwest. some of those sun belt states. it really is critical in ohio, and i think in ohio the core question is whether the electorate is going to look more like 2008 or 2004. ohio has been more heart break hill for democrats than reassurance, and it is very anomalous for a democrat to be relying on that as a firewall. if he comes up short, very hard for him to get to 270?

>> one of the things the obama campaign did early on was spend a lot of money in ohio on ads. a has that strategy actually successfully created a cultural divide between romney and the working class? has that played out in ohio? are we seeing evidence of that? >> absolutely. i think the evidence is, yes, and that is the central pair docks of this campaign. the president is struggling especially among working class or blue collar white voters. he may have the weakest national performance since during the reagan landslide. yet, in these core battleground states in the midwest, particularly iowa, wisconsin, and above all ohio, he is running ten to 15 points better among working class white men and women than he is nationally, and i believe that is largely because the bain story. the image of romney as a corporate raider who comes to town and shuts down the factory

detonate with just a lot more emotional and cultural power there. that really is part of the shared economic narrative that people have lived through than it does in the sun belt, and as long as obama can hold that better performance among working close rights whites in the upper midwest, that is the last hill that romney hasn't been able to get over in this race. >> all right. we'll be watching closely. it's all about ohio. election day tomorrow. the candidates making their final pitches. hear why president obama thinks he deserves another four years from his deputy campaign manager stephanie cutter laying out his plan. up next. it's 32 minutes to go t, and the candidate's speech is in pieces all over the district. the writer's desktop and the coordinator's phone are working on a joke with local color. the secure cloud just received a revised intro from the strategist's tablet. and while i make my way into the venue, the candidate will be rehearsing off of his phone. [ candidate ] and thanks to every young face i see out there. [ woman ] his phone is one of his biggest supporters. [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center... working together has never worked so well.

a final day of campaigning for the president who has already hit wisconsin. then it's on to iowa and ohio. we heard so much about the fire wall. joining us from chicago, stephanie cutter, president obama's deputy campaign manager in chicago. the president is going to end his day. stephanie, good to see you.

let's assume that he -- the firewall holds and the president wins. the first challenge that is going to have is obviously dealing with the fiscal cliff, and everybody knows we're talking about the first $110 billion in spending cuts out of $1.2 trillion over ten years. not to mention the bush tax cuts that are going to expire. that's going to be a tax increase for 90% of americans. what does he do on wednesday? his day one in dealing with the fiscal cliff. >> well, suzanne, the president has laid out plain to deal with the fiscal cliff. it's called his deficit reduction plan, and he has made a couple of things clear. that we can't reduce the deficit without putting revenue on the table, and i think that on election day the overwhelming majority of the american people are going to agree with him. he is also going to not agree to anything that extends as high-end bush tax cuts. you know, the way forward on the fiscal cliff is pretty clear.

i think that when the american people vote on tuesday they're going to make their feelings on the way forward clear, and hopefully that means that we'll have some more willing partners across the aisle to forge consensus on this. >> let's talk about the willing partners because right now the republican campaign is arguing, well, if you put mitt romney in another republican, is he going to work better with fellow republicans to avoid falling off this cliff. we expect the balance of power and the house and senate basically are iffing to stay the same. what will the president do to change many some way to get beyond the gridlock that we've seen the last four years? >> i think the american people are going to help us get beyond the gridlock. i think that we're going to see that tomorrow. they're going to make their voices heard, and i think republicans hopefully are open to hearing those voices. you know, the thought that mitt romney is going to be bettered at bringing people together in washington is ridiculous. given the positions that he has taken over the course of this campaign, and the pledges that he signed. he signed the no tax pledge.

the grover norquist pledge. you can't achieve deficit reduction -- every expert knows this. simpson-bolles, every economist, you can't achieve real deficit reduction without taking a look at revenue, and he has already taken that off the table. so having somebody come to washington who has completely endorsed and embraced the tea party agenda is not a good place to start if you are looking to bring people together. in fact, are you driving more people away. besides taking a different approach, you have heard him on the stump today and heard him on the stump over the course of the last several weeks that we can do this. we know how to affect real change. we can put real change in place and point the way forward. the deficit reduction plan in place on the table for congress and that's a good place to start. it's a balanced deficit reduction that has everybody to give a little bit for the sake of this country. >> is the president optimistic that if he does win, that he is going to have people across the aisle, republicans who are going to want to work with him over the next four years that it's going to be different than it was the last two?

>> is he optimistic. and he has made it clear that he is willing to work with anybody who is ready to come to the table with good ideas. so, of course, we're optimistic. you know, we're also realistic, and that's why we need the american people to make their voices heard tomorrow. you know, there's a lot of things on the table. a real choice and very stark differences on how to approach this economy and how to grow this economy. i think that when the american people go to the polls tomorrow, they're going to choose growing the economy from the middle out. asks everybody to pay their fair share, and everybody has a fair shot. >> i want to ask specifically about one group that is very important to the president, and that's obviously latinos. the president talked to the des moines register about the possible path to victory saying a big win -- a big reason i will win a second term is because of a republican nominee and republican party have so alienated the fastest growing demographic group in the country.

is he planning -- is that part of his agenda, comprehensive immigration reform? is there something that is on the horizon essentially that will give a nod to those latino voters he is talking about? >> well, he has talked about comprehensive immigration reform in a second term. it's one of his second term goals, in fact. he has done everything he could to bring people together around immigration reform. republicans, business leaders, faith leaders, hispanic leaders, all over this country, to lay the ground work for comprehensive immigration reform. he has had to take actions by himself like the deferred action -- for the dream act kit. i think that i was listening to your interview earlier, whoever was saying, that this will be the last election where republicans can afford to alienate voters, and i think that's absolutely right. mitt romney will have -- if you want to talk about insulting and driving away hispanic voters, just look to mitt romney. i don't think republicans can afford to do that, and i hope that means they will come to the table and work with us on comprehensive immigration

reform. the president is ready andotology do that, and we need to do that. >> stephanie, one final point here. david axelrod, jen, putting their looks on the line. you had axelrod betting his mustache. i don't know if you can see the picture, but we actually did a little graphic there to try to imagine jen. she said she's going to dye her hair and paste on a mustache. are you willing to make a wager here, a mohawk, a mullet. what do you think? >> no mustaches for me. you know, i'm willing to -- willing to let my hair go back to its natural color. how is that? >> there gu. i like your spirit. stephanie will be watching very closely. thank you so much for your time. appreciate it. early votes are in. now to candidates. they're in their final psh in this year's election cycle. wasn't all smooth sailing. there was some unexpected moments along the way. >> what do you want me to tell

romney? i can't tell him to do that. can't do that to himself. >> presidential race captured in two minutes. up next.

republicans started off wide open, the voters narrowed it down to one man, mitt romney, of course. now he and president obama are in a dead heat in the final hours before election day.

they are running on adrenaline. you can imagine, crisscrossing the country, just so they can shake a few more hands before folks heading to the polls. so as the 2012 presidential race comes to a close, let's take a look back. >> rick san sotorum. >> michele bachmann. >> lower taxes. >> cut taxes. >> create jobs. >> jobs. >> creating jobs. >> repeal of obama care. >> obama care. >> obama care. >> it was a reflection of the president's comments that he designed obama care on the massachusetts health care plan. >> 9-9-9. >> three agencies of government when i get there that are gone. commerce, education and the -- what's the third one there? let's see. >> i am suspending -- >> i have decided to stand aside. >> rick perry getting ready to

tell all his supporters -- >> thank you for that support and for the prayers. >> thank you, tonight, for this great victory. >> now is not the time. >> oh, yeah. >> romney now has more than enough delegates. >> today i'm suspending the campaign. >> i was born in hawaii. >> it's still about the economy. >> you didn't build that. >> unchain wall street. >> the president has 52%. >> the next president of the united states, paul ryan! >> what do you mean shut up? ♪ won't back down >> mr. chairman -- >> i accept your nomination for president of the united states. >> all right, there are 47% who are with him. >> i like pbs. i like big bird. middle income families are being crushed, buried, being crushed. >> for first time, lead for mitt romney. >> that's a bunch of malarkey. >> i know you're under a lot of duress. >> we're here for the second presidential debate. >> you cut permits and licenses. >> not true, governor romney.

>> binders full of women. >> i feel very well rested after the nice long nap i had in the first debate. >> don't concur. >> well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets. >> again, attacking me is not talking about an agenda. >> president obama, he's canceling campaign events. >> if nothing else changed in the map -- >> the magic number 270. >> when you elect a president -- >> tell the supporters -- >> you want to know -- >> vote for love of country. >> be sure to watch cnn on election day. we're going to be with you all day tomorrow, joining you at 9:00 a.m. eastern and special coverage beginning tomorrow night at 6:00. less than 24 hours from election day. we have teamed up with facebook to ask you are the candidates driving you to the polls? check out my page to vote, facebook.com/suzan facebook.com/suzannemalvea facebook.com/suzannemalveaux.

earlier we asked you if you could tell us if the candidates and the messages are driving to the polls. cnn now partnered with facebook to create a new app called i'm voting. it asks you to commit to vote this election and then shows you how your friends, neighbors feel about a variety of issues. what is the response to today's questions? are the candidates driving you to the polls? majority of you, 87%, said yes. 13% said, no. not meant to be a reflection of the entire country's feelings on the issue, just a way to see how you stack up against cnn and facebook users. here is some comments you left. david carol writes, i vote in every election. and this election both candidates are poor choices. but one of them will probably get to appoint a supreme court which will affect this country much more than the policies of either candidates for four